TV Review: Say Yes To The Dress Canada (Canada, 2015)

What women want is something that has befuddled many men. But what guys don’t realise is that the answer to this question is quite simply a silly little reality program called Say Yes To The Dress Canada. The show is the equivalent of cotton candy in that it’s sugary and superficial but it’s also a rather guilty pleasure you can consume in order to feed your “inner princess”.

The program is set in Amanda-Lina’s Bridal Boutique in Woodbridge, Canada. It’s a fly-on-the-wall style reality show that follows women shopping for their wedding dress. It doesn’t seem like it’s an all too tricky premise but there is a bit more to this than tulle and satin. Plus, it’s also a series of half-hour TV episodes that have already inspired numerous spin-offs.

Say Yes To The Dress Canada is more than just tagging along on a shopping expedition with people you don’t know. It also shows family relationships (often when they are at the most tense and heightened) as well as the bride-to-be’s personality and how she treats other people (including her friends). It’s often quite obvious that the customers have an image of what they want in their minds but the reality can be very different. In truth, a lot of girls follow the advice of the person fitting them because these people should know, they’ve only sold hundreds or thousands of dresses.

This program is a vapid and consumerist one. But it also appeals to women who just want to watch some escapist fluff and see pretty outfits. It’s a program where people can live vicariously through the brides-to-be as they embark on an expensive journey into a consumerist fantasy-land. In all, this is a pleasant, feel-good series and a guilty pleasure that is just like that hidden block of dark Belgian chocolate. MMMMMMM.

Review Score: THREE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)

Say Yes To The Dress Canada premieres on the Foxtel’s TLC channel on October 28.